[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 60 (Wednesday, April 25, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H2077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING COACH PAT SUMMITT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. DesJarlais) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DesJARLAIS. Mr. Speaker, in today's society, we throw around 
terms like ``legendary'' or ``iconic'' to describe individuals or 
events that quite often are not worthy of such praise. But in talking 
about Pat Summitt, even lofty words like these fail to fully do justice 
to the extraordinary career that Coach Summitt has had at the 
University of Tennessee.
  Throughout her 38 years of coaching the Lady Volunteers, she has 
built a list of achievements both on and off the court that would rival 
those of any other coach in the history of college basketball. These 
include 1,098 wins--more than anyone in NCAA basketball history--16 
Southern Conference Championships, 16 SEC Tournament Championships, 18 
Final Four appearances, eight national championships, and two Olympic 
medals.
  Without a doubt, Coach Summitt is a monumental figure in the world of 
college sports. Her leadership and sportsmanship, along with her sheer 
talent as a coach, are universally admired by her competitors, 
colleagues, and fellow coaches.
  She brought an unmatched level of pride and notoriety to both the 
sport of basketball and the University of Tennessee. But most 
importantly, she has been a guiding force in the lives of so many young 
people. Time and time again, she has led her players to victory both on 
the court and in the classroom. Under her guidance, every Lady 
Volunteer player who has finished her eligibility at Tennessee has 
graduated.
  Coach Summitt's life should serve as a model for anyone to strive 
toward. She is a fierce competitor, a selfless mentor, and a dedicated 
advocate of women's athletics. I was glad to hear that she will still 
remain an important part of the program, and I know that all Lady Vol 
fans will look forward to her continued presence. I think we would all 
agree that if a Mount Rushmore of college coaches existed, her image 
would be etched upon it. There will never be another Pat Summitt.
  Now, as she moves towards a new chapter in her life, I wish her and 
her family all the best.

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